Nally, John, with Susan Lockwood, Katie Knutson and Taiping Ho2012 An Evaluation of the Effect of Correctional Education Programs on Recidivism and Post-Release Employment liberation: an empirical study of Indiana. The Journal of Correctional Education 63(1):69-89. A significant number of former prisoners are unemployed because they lack adequate education and job skills to find employment. More than two-thirds of all inmates have not completed high school. Unemployment and low education are inversely correlated with recidivism. The lower an offender's educational level, the more likely he or she will be unable to find employment that meets his or her financial needs. Most jobs available to ex-cons are in low-wage sectors. Those who are unable to support themselves are more likely to reoffend. Academic and vocational training equips offenders with the skills needed to obtain better-paying employment. By providing academic and vocational training while incarcerated, the risk of recidivism decreases by 3.7 times compared to former inmates who did not participate in rehabilitation programs. Newbold, Greg 2008 Another One Bites the Dust: recent Initiatives in Correctional Reform in New Zealand. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 41(3):384-401. Originally, New Zealand used a punitive approach to prisons based on the English method. This method involved severe discipline, deprivation, humiliation and forced labor. However, in the early 20th century, New Zealand began to approach prisoners with a liberal and humanitarian approach that involved training and work programs, as well as parole upon completion of the program. Most new approaches...... middle of paper ......tion. During the 1930s, rehabilitation began to focus more on vocational training. In the 1970s and 1980s, vocational education was considered the best way to reduce recidivism rates. Ideally, these programs would provide the offender with marketable skills so that he or she can find gainful employment upon release. However, education programs alone are not sufficient to reduce recidivism rates, as many other factors influence the likelihood of recidivism, such as living conditions, history of drug and alcohol abuse, income and family relationships. Programs must also be administered during a “window of opportunity” to be effective. This is the time it will take an offender to reach a higher level of proficiency in an academic or vocational training course. Offenders who are unable to complete treatment will not benefit.